Serena williams biography pictures of michelle

We examine the indebt life, wins and defeats of this glorified sports character in our Serena Williams biography facts, childhood and personal life. Highlights include her achievements and awards. She was the youngest of five girls. She grew up in the dusty Los Angeles suburb of Compton, wherein her father was running a private security firm.

Serena had two-hour a day practices with her father. Her potential to become great in the game, could not be over-looked and soon thereafter, she started attending the tennis academy of Rick Macci, who polished her in-born skills and talent. Byshe had scored on the United States Tennis Association Junior tour and ranked first in the and-under division.

The family moved to Florida. However, her father pulled her and sister Venus out of the game, sensing his girls needed better instruction to become successful professionals and the demanding schedule of the game may burn them out quickly. At that age, she entered her first professional tournament after some setbacks by the WTA as a result of age issues in a prior event.

Serena was ousted out of her first professional tournament after winning just two games. After staying out of action inSerena return to the court was well received as she defeated prominent top 10 players, which earned her the 99 th spot at the end of At the end ofSerena had catapulted to the 29 th spot in the singles rank. She played in 16 tournaments inmore than any other year.

In doubles, the Williams sisters finished at No. InWilliams's first tournament was in Sydneywhere she lost in the final to Dementieva. At the Australian OpenWilliams was the defending champion in both singles and doubles. She reached the final and defeated Justine Henin, who had recently come out of retirement, for her twelfth Grand Slam singles title.

In doubles, Williams and her sister successfully defended their title by defeating Cara Black and Liezel Huber in the final. At Madridshe fell to Nadia Petrova in the third round, but partnered with Venus to win the doubles title. She and Venus won the doubles event, achieving their fourth consecutive Grand Slam doubles title and improving their doubles ranking to No.

She asserted that being a great player is "not just about how many Slams you win In Munich on July 7, Williams stepped on broken glass while in a restaurant, and the injury caused her to miss the rest of the year. Williams made her first appearance on the WTA tour in almost a year in Eastbournewhere she lost in round two to Zvonareva.

Later in the summer, she won titles in both Stanford and Toronto. She reached the final at the US Openwhere she faced Stosur. During the match, Williams became angry with umpire Eve Asderaki. She made gestures and unflattering comments towards her, including calling her "a hater". She only played in six tournaments during the season.

Williams started the season at the Brisbane International. During her match against Bojana Jovanovskishe injured her left ankle, and was forced to withdraw from the tournament. After a month layoff, Williams returned to competition in Miamilosing in the quarterfinals. She then won consecutive titles in Charleston and Madridbut withdrew from her semifinal match in Rome due to a lower back injury.

She notched up a 33—1 record for the second half of the season, winning five titles in the process. She also set a record for the most aces in a tournament by any player—male or female—with a total of Williams returned to America to successfully defend her Stanford title, overcoming CoCo Vandeweghe in the final. Williams's first tournament of the season was in Brisbanewhere she won the title without dropping a set.

The victory made Williams a six-time champion in Miami, breaking the record she held with Graf. She also became the fourth woman in the Open Era to win a given tournament six times. She then played in Rome, where she won the title a second time. Evert said Williams's play during the match was the finest performance she had ever seen by a female player on clay.

She also became the fourth woman in the Open Era to win each Grand Slam tournament at least twice. At Wimbledonshe advanced easily to the fourth round before being defeated by eventual finalist Sabine Lisicki. Williams then won the Swedish Open, her first victory at the International level. She was undefeated on clay during the serena williams biography pictures of michelle.

Only Rafael Nadal inand Novak Djokovic inand have earned more money in one season. Williams finished as the year-end No. Only Evert and Babe Didrikson have been chosen more often as Athlete of the Year since the awards were first handed out in Williams defended her title at the Brisbane International by defeating No. Williams then played in the Miami Open, where she won her record seventh title with a straight-sets victory over No.

She made it to the quarterfinals at the Madrid Open before withdrawing with a thigh injury. In RomeWilliams won her third title of the season. During the doubles event with Venus, Serena hit four consecutive doubles faults. She appeared disoriented and unsteady on her feet, and withdrew from the tournament. The official cause of withdrawal was "viral illness.

Williams rebounded by winning 19 out of her next 20 matches losing only to Venus in the semifinals of the Rogers Cup. At the WTA Finals in Singapore, Williams advanced to the final for the third consecutive year despite having equaled her career-worst loss in her second round robin match against Simona Halep. Williams began the season by reaching the final of the Hopman Cupwhere she and her partner John Isner lost to Poland.

She is the only player in history to win all four Grand Slams at age 30 or older. When Williams defeated Lisicki in the quarterfinals of the Miami Openshe became the eighth woman in the Open Era to record match wins in her career. As preparation for the clay-court season and to ensure her eligibility for the Summer OlympicsWilliams travelled to Brindisi, Italywhere she competed with that country's team for a place in the Fed Cup 's World Group.

It was Williams's first loss in the Fed Cup. With this triumph, she completed her second "Serena Slam" winning all four Grand Slams in a row, but not in the same calendar year. Williams was the defending champion at the Bank of the West Classicbut withdrew from the tournament to recover from an elbow injury. On October 5, Williams surpassed Evert for third-most weeks ranked world No.

Williams was the No. She reached the final without dropping a set, and faced first time Grand Slam finalist Angelique Kerber. Williams was considered the heavy favorite, as she had never lost an Australian Open final or semifinal. She had also dominated in past matches against Kerber, losing only once to her in six meetings. Williams lost the final in three sets, however, which marked her first-ever three-set loss in the final of a Grand Slam.

The week of February 15 marked Williams's th consecutive week ranked No. Only Graf had held the ranking longer, for weeks. Williams competed in Indian Wells as the No. She was defeated by Azarenka, whom she had beaten the last five times the pair had met. This marked the first time since that Williams lost two consecutive finals. She next played the Miami Open as the defending champion, losing in the fourth round to Kuznetsova.

At the French OpenWilliams dropped only one set en route to the final, where she faced Muguruza. She lost to the Spanish-Venezuelan player in straight sets, marking the first time she had lost two consecutive Grand Slam finals.

Serena williams biography pictures of michelle

Later that day, Williams and her sister won their sixth Wimbledon doubles title and 14th Grand Slam doubles title overall, keeping their perfect record at Grand Slam doubles finals intact. In July, Williams withdrew from the Rogers Cup due to a shoulder injury. In the second round, she lost to Madison Brengle. It was the first time in the Open Era that two players aged 35 or older had competed in the final of a Grand Slam tournament.

The win ensured Williams's return to the No. On April 19,Williams revealed that she was 20 weeks pregnant and would miss the remainder of the season. On January 5,Williams withdrew from the upcoming Australian Open, citing a lack of sufficient preparation in the wake of her pregnancy. Williams withdrew from the match due to an injury, however. In July, she played Wimbledon and was seeded No.

Many felt the decision showed bias and unduly favored Williams, who was ranked No. She suffered the worst loss of her career in the first round, winning just a single game against Johanna Konta. Williams said she "couldn't shake it out of [her] mind. Williams's next tournament was the Cincinnati Masters. Williams prevailed, notching her first win against a top 10 player since her return from pregnancy.

Williams then won her semifinal match against Anastasija Sevastovaputting her into the final against Naomi Osaka. During the second set of the match, Williams was given a code violation because her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, gave her coaching hand signals. Williams claimed Mouratoglou was simply giving her a thumbs-up, and demanded an apology from umpire Carlos Ramos.

However, Mouratoglou later admitted in the after-game interview that he had been coaching, but believes Williams did not understand the hint. After her third code violation for verbal abuse of the umpire, Williams received a game penalty, which caused her to lose the match. Following the US Open final match, the Melbourne newspaper the Herald Sun published a cartoon by Mark Knight depicting Williams throwing a tantrum while the umpire asks her opponent to "just let her win".

Williams started her season at the Australian Openher first appearance at the tournament since winning it in Seeded 16th, she defeated Tatjana MariaEugenie Bouchardand Dayana Yastremska in the first three rounds, then bested top seed and world No. This was Williams's earliest defeat at the Australian Open since her fourth-round loss in Despite the loss, her ranking climbed to No.

She then experienced a recurrence of a long-term knee injury, which caused her to pull out of upcoming Miami and Rome events. She could not train properly until after the French Open, where she lost in the third round. She also became the oldest Grand Slam finalist in the Open Era. However, Williams was forced to withdraw early in the match after experiencing back spasms.

In the quarterfinals she defeated Wang Qiangand in the semifinals she triumphed over Svitolina. Williams then proceeded to the final against Andreescu, who won the title in straight sets. She failed to reach a Grand Slam final in Williams started the season by playing the Yarra Valley Classicwhere she withdrew prior to her semifinal match, citing a right shoulder injury.

In DecemberWilliams announced she would not play the Australian Openciting the same leg injury. The pair won two matches before retiring from the tournament due to an injury sustained by Jabeur. In the September issue of VogueWilliams announced her plans to "evolve away" from tennis after the US Openindicating retirement. Williams played her older sister Venus in 31 professional matches starting in Overall, Serena is 19—12 against her sister.

When both the Williams sisters entered the top ten and started facing off in tournaments, rumors of match fixing started to circulate. John McEnroewhile commenting on the Wimbledon semifinal between the two sisters, said that "Serena may not be allowed to win. Richard [Williams] may have something to say about this. One of Williams's first rivalries was with Martina Hingis, who turned pro less than one year before her Hingis in OctoberWilliams in They first played each other at the Miami Open where Hingis won in three sets.

All but one of their matches was played on a hard court with the exception being a contest on clay in Rome inwhich Hingis won in straight sets. Their last match took place at the Miami Open, which Williams won. Williams leads the series against Jennifer Capriati 10—7. Williams went on to win the next eight. Justine Henin and Williams have met 14 times, five of which were in tournament finals.

In Grand Slam tournaments, they have faced each other seven times, with Henin leading 4—3. Williams leads the series 18—5. The rivalry began at the Australian Open, and their most recent match was in the semifinals of the US Open. Williams holds a 10—1 record in Grand Slams. Azarenka is the only player to win four WTA tour-level finals against Williams, and, despite only winning five matches against Williams, is considered one of the few modern players to truly challenge Williams.

Williams leads the series 20—2. The pair first met in the fourth round of the Miami Openwhere Williams defeated Sharapova. Their rivalry truly began at the Wimbledon finalwhere Williams was the two-time defending champion; Sharapova bested her in an upset. Since then, however, Williams has dominated the rivalry, winning all of their clashes, with only three of their matches going to three sets.

They met 10 times in Grand Slam tournaments, where Williams leads 9—1. They faced off in a further nine finals, with Williams leading 7—2. Their final match was in the first round of the US Openwhere Williams defeated Sharapova in two sets. Williams is regarded as one of the best female tennis players of all time. The demonstration effect.

The power of seeing two African-American girls with braids in the finals of the biggest tournaments in the world in a predominantly white sport. Just a huge impact that really can't be overstated. For their first match in Marchthe members of the United States women's national soccer team each wore a jersey with the name of a woman who inspired them on the back.

Crystal Dunn chose Serena Williams. Williams was an aggressive baseliner whose game was centered around her powerful serve and forceful groundstrokes. Owing to her high-risk playing style, she typically hit a large number of winners and a large number of unforced errors. Williams's serve—which is considered the greatest in the history of women's tennis [ ] —is known for its speed and accurate placement, which allowed her to deliver numerous aces.

She deployed these as second serves, minimizing double faults and preventing opponents from scoring free points. Williams's forehand and backhand are considered two of the most powerful shots in the history of women's tennis. She was able to generate sharp, acute angles, which allowed her to hit winners from any position on the court. Despite playing primarily from the baseline, Williams was an adept net player thanks to her extensive doubles experience.

She frequently chose to finish points at the net, either with deft touch, aggressive drive volleys, or a solid, powerful, and reliable overhead smash. She is widely considered one of the greatest returners of all time. Despite predominantly employing an aggressive style, Williams was also an excellent defender who was capable of counterpunching against aggressive opponents until she created an opportunity to hit a winner.

She was an exceptional athlete, known for her movement, speed, court coverage, agility, flexibility, balance, and footwork. Her on-court intelligence, shot selection, and point construction allowed her to execute her game plan effectively. She won three Slams after saving match points, more than any other player in history. Her ability to come back from set and break deficits in Grand Slam matches was described by McEnroe as "a gift", and he called her "the greatest" competitor in the history of women's tennis.

The largest building on Nike's Portland campus is the one-million-square-foot Serena Williams Building, which features many references to the athlete's career and long partnership with Nike. Williams used the Wilson Hammer Stretch range of rackets when she won her first Grand Slam title inbefore switching to the Hyper Hammer range. Her racket is typically oversized, with a head size of square inches.

SinceWilson has manufactured a serena williams biography pictures of michelle racket, the Wilson Blade SW, which is designed to Williams's specifications. Current through the US Open. Note: Williams withdrew from the French Open before her fourth round match and the French Open before her second round match, both of which do not officially count as losses.

Williams is married to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. He proposed to her on December 10,and they married on November 16,in New Orleans. On April 19,Williams posted a picture of herself on Snapchat that focused on her midsection. It had the caption, "20 weeks", prompting speculation that she was pregnant. Williams was raised as a Jehovah's Witnessbut was not baptized until Williams runs the Serena Williams Foundation, which has partnered with major organizations to advance community development.

An ESPN episode was dedicated to the charity tour. In response to the Haiti earthquakeWilliams, along with other ATP and WTA stars, decided to forgo their final day of preparation for the Australian Open to assist earthquake victims. Williams's return to Indian Wells in after a year boycott occurred in partnership with the Equal Justice Initiativea non-profit organization that provides legal representation to people who may have been denied a fair trial.

In AugustSerena and Venus became minority owners of the Miami Dolphins after purchasing a small stake in the team. According to the Dolphins, they are the first African-American women to hold any amount of ownership in an NFL franchise. In Julyit was announced that Williams was part of a nearly all-women investors' group that was awarded a new franchise in the National Women's Soccer Leaguethe highest level of the women's sport in the United States.

Williams's husband Alexis Ohanian is classified as the "lead investor", but he holds a minority interest, and is the only man in the ownership group. Other owners in the group include prominent actresses, media figures, businesswomen, former members of the US women's national team, and Williams's eldest daughter. Williams became more involved in social change as her career progressed, primarily using social media to express her views.

In she voiced her support for Black Lives Matter on her Facebook page. She expressed concern that her young nephew could be in danger from police due to his skin color. Williams responded to him by saying, "I don't need or want [an apology]. But there is an entire group of people that deserves an apology. Also inWilliams wrote an open letter in Porter Magazine's feature "Incredible Women of " in support of gender equality and to share her personal struggles as a woman in tennis.

Williams was noted for her unusual and colorful outfits on court. She arrived at the US Open in a denim skirt and knee-high leg wraps that looked like boots, which she was not allowed to wear during matches. Williams formerly ran Aneresa proprietary line of designer apparel. In FebruaryWilliams was appointed to the board of directors of the online fashion marketplace Poshmark.

Williams has appeared in films, television series, and music videos. She and Venus also served as executive producers on the film King Richarda biopic about their father. Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk. Read View source View history. Tools Tools. Download as PDF Printable version. In other projects. Wikimedia Commons Wikinews Wikiquote Wikidata item.

American former tennis player born Williams at the US Open. Medal record. Main article: Serena Williams's early career. Main article: Serena Williams tennis season. Main articles:,and Serena Williams tennis season. Main articles:, and Serena Williams tennis season. Main articles: and Serena Williams tennis season. Main article: Williams sisters rivalry.

Main article: Hingis—S. Williams rivalry. Main article: Henin—S. Main article: Serena Williams career statistics. Grand Slam tournament performance timeline. To avoid confusion and double counting, these charts are updated at the serena williams biography pictures of michelle of a tournament or when the player's participation has ended.

Grand Slam tournament finals. Singles: 33 23— Women's doubles: 14 14—0. Mixed doubles: 4 2—2. Main article: List of career achievements by Serena Williams. April 29, Archived from the original on March 25, Retrieved April 29, September 4, Archived from the original on September 5, Retrieved September 6, BBC Sport. Archived from the original on January 2, Retrieved July 13, John, Allen.

Archived from the original on September 8, Retrieved September 5, Archived from the original on June 10, Retrieved November 15, International Business Times AU. Archived from the original on July 2, The Atlantic. Archived from the original on April 2, Retrieved April 20, The New Yorker. Archived from the original on July 28, Archived from the original on April 24, For The Win.

Archived from the original on March 4, Archived from the original on May 3, Archived from the original on August 12, Retrieved July 7, Archived from the original on November 18, Archived from the original on February 6, The Guardian. Williams is the youngest of Price's five daughters, who include fellow tennis superstar Venus Williams.

Richard Williams, a former sharecropper from Louisiana, was determined that daughters Serena and Venus would succeed in life. Seeing opportunity in tennis, he and Oracene taught themselves the game from books and videos so that they could coach their children. Richard moved the family to Compton, California, where Williams began intensive tennis training with her father and older sister around the age of three.

The Williams sisters practiced for hours every day on rundown public tennis courts. Williams joined the junior United States Tennis Association tour and by she ranked first in the and-under division. Richard then moved the family to Palm Beach, Florida, where the sisters trained with coach Rick Macci. Richard kept Williams and her sister from competing in the junior tournaments, hoping to ensure that they would not burn out before turning professional.

Inat the age of 14, Williams made her professional debut at a qualifying event in Quebec City. Fellow American Annie Miller defeated her soundly. Williams did not play another professional match untilbut by the end of that year she rose to number 99 in the world rankings. She won her first Grand Slam title that year, when she defeated Martina Hingis7—6 to win the U.

Open, and rose to number four in the world rankings. Two years later, Williams lost to her sister in the U. Open final — it was the first time that sisters played against each other in a Grand Slam final since The African-American Williams and her sister made an immediate impact in the predominately white tennis world: their strength and athleticism on the court overmatched many opponents and their colorful, fashionable styles garnered media attention.

They competed together as doubles partners, eventually winning 14 Grand Slam doubles titles. They took gold at the, and Olympics and are the winningest doubles tennis team in Olympic history. Williams, along with her father and sister who were watching in the stands, claimed spectators hurled racial slurs their way while booing them.

Williams later described the racist treatment as traumatizing and she boycotted the tournament until Williams continued to amass victories and rise in the rankings. Tennis is one of the most popular sports in the world. Players must focus on FitnessNutrition and Psychology. Who is the greatest everthe fittest ever? It might be Federerbut Nadal and Williams have the most grand slam wins.

There are profiles of past athlete champions from a large range of sports. See also profiles of Olympic athletes and pages about sporting heroes.